Electronic marketplaces (e.g., Internet- or web-based marketplaces) have become legitimate alternatives to traditional “brick and mortar” retail stores. For instance, consumers may visit a merchant's website to view and/or purchase goods and services offered for sale by the merchant (and/or third party merchants). In many cases, consumers appreciate the convenience and simplicity of the shopping experience provided by electronic marketplaces. For example, a consumer may quickly browse an electronic catalog (e.g., via a web browser) and select one or more items from the catalog for purchase. Such items may be shipped directly to the consumer thereby relieving the consumer of the inconvenience of traveling to a physical store.
Some electronic marketplaces include large electronic catalogs of items offered for sale. Distributors that operate such marketplaces may process inventory of items in one or more facilities (e.g., warehouses, distributions centers, etc.). Such a facility may be staffed with agents responsible for performing a variety of duties within the facility, such as receiving items into inventory and preparing items for shipment. The overhead costs associated with the facility (e.g., the aggregate cost of agent labor) are often passed to consumers as some component of the final price of a product. Reducing the final price of a product is one way in which merchants gain a competitive advantage over other merchants in the marketplace; reducing the overhead costs associated with a distribution facility (e.g., the aggregate cost of agent labor) is one way in which merchants may reduce the final price of a product.
While the system and method for integrated stowing and picking in a materials handling facility is described herein by way of example for several embodiments and illustrative drawings, those skilled in the art will recognize that the system and method for integrated stowing and picking in a materials handling facility is not limited to the embodiments or drawings described. It should be understood, that the drawings and detailed description thereto are not intended to limit the system and method for integrated stowing and picking in a materials handling facility to the particular form disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the system and method for integrated stowing and picking in a materials handling facility as defined by the appended claims. The headings used herein are for organizational purposes only and are not meant to be used to limit the scope of the description or the claims. As used throughout this application, the word “may” is used in a permissive sense (i.e., meaning having the potential to), rather than the mandatory sense (i.e., meaning must). Similarly, the words “include,” “including,” and “includes” mean including, but not limited to.